STAFF at Tamworth's Peaks leisure centre walked out and closed the doors after new owners failed to meet a deadline to pay outstanding wages.

STAFF at Tamworth's Peaks leisure centre walked out and closed the doors after new owners failed to meet a deadline to pay outstanding wages.

Around 80 workers still owed April's wages are now threatening not to turn up for work next week if Sports Village UK do not pay up by Saturday.

Staff, who reopened the centre shortly after the walkout, today warned that they can offer no guarantee on future opening times and urged families to ring first.

Advice to customers is: "We are open at the moment but that's all we can say for certain. The best thing to do is ring before to check. If we're here we'll answer the phone."

Tuesday at 4pm was when unpaid staff reached boiling point. They told customers to leave saying they were being forced to close as a "last resort" in a joint stand against directors Marjory Issatt and Michael Davey.

Parents were told to collect youngsters waiting to start swimming lessons as staff walked out. Other parents and children gathered in reception were also turned away.

One mother said: "Why did they leave it so late to tell us? I paid a year's membership last week for my boys. If they go into liquidation I've lost it."

The walkout came after directors - who were last seen at the end of April - turned up unexpectedly on Wednesday morning.

One angry worker said: "We hadn't seen our bosses for a fortnight.

"We gave them a 4pm deadline to pay our wages and they haven't so we are shutting the centre. We feel bad about doing this, but they have left us no choice."